Smoothies: Why I Love Them and How I Make Them

Why Homemade Smoothies?

While there are plenty of reasons to drink smoothies, the main reason I began making smoothies is my health. Having complete control over the ingredients gives me peace of mind and justifies drinking them more frequently. When I would visit smoothie chains like Robeks or Jamba Juice, I’d be told their smoothies wouldn’t taste the same without ingredients like milk or yogurt. Since I’m (mostly) dairy-free, homemade smoothies allow me to take back control of my own diet.

Favorite Recipe: Ginger Greens

My favorite smoothie to make is a ginger greens smoothie - it’s full of fresh flavors and packed with plenty of vitamins and nutrients I need to make it through the day. The ginger greens smoothie recipe calls for simple ingredients, but complement each other extremely well. It has a sweet-but-spicy tang that’s only complemented further by crisp, cool hints of cucumber and pear.

Ginger Greens Smoothie Recipe

1 cup spinach packed

1 inch ginger root, peeled

1/4 carrot (optional)

1/4 green pear

1/4 cucumber, peeled

1/2 green apple, core removed

Cold water or orange juice

Crushed ice

While the ginger greens smoothie isn’t the only smoothie out there, it took a lot of trial and error for me to find that it was my favorite mix. When I’m craving something a little sweeter, I tend to lean toward occasional peanut butter & banana smoothie (recipe coming soon).

Favorite Blender: Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ

It’s extremely important to have a powerful personal blender to pulverize all the fruits, vegetables, and ice you mix together. My favorite blender, and probably the most powerful I’ve used, is my Nutri Ninja Blender with Auto-iQ technology. The Nutri Ninja blender is 1000 watts, making it 100 watts more powerful than a NutriBullet Pro.

While the NutriBullet is also a great option, I’ve found the one-touch functionality of my Nutri Ninja to be highly convenient and what really sets the two apart. Once I throw all the ingredients into the blender cup, it take about 45 to 60 seconds to have my smoothie perfectly blended.

More Benefits of Homemade Smoothies

To me, bringing a smoothie operation to my kitchen every morning meant more than just a healthy diet. Homemade smoothies are a way to have control over what I put in my own body. Smoothies are also a satisfying way to start my morning. After all, healthy skin comes from within, right?

It’s also worth mentioning that the money I started saving with homemade smoothies was noticeable immediately. On average, I spend $20 per week on ingredients that will make about 8 to 12 smoothies, depending on how generous I am with my portions. That same $20 will hardly cover the cost of two smoothies here in Los Angeles.

Smoothies not your thing? That’s ok. There are plenty of ways to live & be healthy - you just have to find what works for you.